Accessory container



April 7,1959 v. RUSSO 4 2,880,864

ACCESSORY CONTAINER Filed Dec. 16, 1957 United States Patent ACCESSORY CONTAINER Vassie Russo, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 16, 1957, Serial No. 703,141

Claims. (Cl. 20669) This invention relates to accessory containers.

Containers of the type under consideration are adapted to hold personal hygiene equipment which 'of necessity must be encased in a box to maintain the apparatus sanitary. At the same time the box should be easily installed in a bathroom and fit in with the decor.

A general object of the invention is to devise a novel container wherein the accessory holders and the mountings for the container are organized to provide eflicient storage and collectively add to the strength of the structure.

A further object of the invention is to so arrange the accessory mounting so'that an accessory cooperates with the lid of the container to maintain it releasably closed and wherein the mountings for other accessories serve to strengthen portions of the container.

The invention comprehends the provision of a flexible lid which is hinged to and telescopes over a base, the lid carrying between two hooks therein a water bag which is in tension to maintain it in the lid and at the same time tends to flex the lid by bowing it outwardly in such a way as to draw opposed portions of the lid towards each other in a tight embrace with cooperating sides of the base of the box while the mountings for the other accessories, which are provided on walls of the box between the said portions, resist outward deflection of these walls in consequence of the said portions of the lid being biased toward each other.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from the specification and the drawings wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of the novel container;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view taken essentially on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the lid taken from the inner side thereof; and

2,880,864 Patented Apr. 7, 1959 with an integral spool or anchor 25 having a mandrel portion 26 elongated lengthwise of the wall 5 and a retainer plate 26 for holding the hose 27 wound there on, the faucet-connecting end 28 being held in a clamp 29 integrated with the wall 5. The elongation of the spool or capstan 25 rigidifies the wall 5 against transverse deflection.

Similarly the wall 6 is provided on its inner side with a pair of integral clamps 31 and 32 spaced lengthwise of the wall 6 for holding the plug 33 and the syringe 34. The placement of these clamps 31 and 32 substantially midway between the center and each end of the wall materially reduces the transverse deflection of wall 6.

There is provided on the outer side 37 of the end wall 8 a longitudinal bead 38 adjacent to its inner edge 39, the bead or locking rib 38 serving to stiflen the Wall against transverse deflection.

The end wall 7 is provided with hinge ears 40, 40 adjacent to opposite ends 41 and 42 in the region of the corners 9 and 10 where the wall 7 is most rigid.

The cover 4 is provided with an outwardly bowed or convexed top wall 43 which merges along its perimeter into an integral quadrilateral frame 44 comprising end walls 45 and 46 and intervening integral side walls 47 and 48. The walls 45, 46 telescope over the walls 7 and 8 and walls 47, 48 over walls 6 and 5 in the closed position of the box as it is swung from an open position about the combined hinges 50 on pintles 51 on wall 45,, the pintles being forced into and pivoting in the openings 52, 53 in hinges 40, 40. The hinge-pintle structures are integral with wall 45 on its inner side 54 adjacent to opposite corners 55, 56 whereat deflection of wall 45 is minimized.

The end wall 46 telescopes over wall 8 and has an internal longitudinal notch or groove 57 which admits the rib 38 for locking the box as it is swung by the handle 59.

There are provided a pair of anchors or hooks 60, 61 integral with the cover wall 43 and projecting inwardly from its inner side 62, the hooks being disposed adjacent to opposite ends of the wall 43 proximate to walls 45,

- 46. It will be noted that the outward bulge of wall 43 Figure 4 is a composite side view of the base and lid 7 taken from the bottom'of the base.

Describing the invention in detail and having particular reference to the drawings, there is shown a container generally indicated 2 comprising a base Sand; a lid or cover 4. i i

The base 3 as well as the lid 4 are quadrilateral and said base comprises a pair of side walls 5 and 6 and end walls 7 and 8 interconnecting said side walls.

The base is provided at the corners 9, 10, 11, and 12 with mounting gussets 13, 14, 15, and 16 which are integrated with the adjacent walls along their base margin 17. These gussets serve to reinforce the corners and rigidify the respective walls to reduce their deflection inasmuch as the entire container is preferably constructed of light gauge plastic material or thin sheet metal. The gussets or lugs are provided with openings 18, 19, 20, and 21 respectively for admitting belts or screws 22 therethrough for affiXation and mounting, for example, on a bathroom wall 23.

Wall 5 of the base is provided on its inner side 24 provides an internal pocket 63 for pocketing the hot water bottle or bag 64 which is preferably of rubber or rubber-like material adapted to stretch under tension.

The bag 64 is provided with eyes 65, 66 at opposite ends via which the bag is hooked onto the hooks 60, 61 and between which it is stretched to hold it in situ with attendant outward bowing of the wall 43, it being noted that walls 46, 45 and 47, 48 being thin tend to distort outwardly. Thus the accessory serves the function-of drawing wall 46 toward 45 so that upon closing'there is a firm or tight interlock of the groove 57 with the rib 38. However, the base portion has its walls rigidified, as heretofore stated, by the accessory mounting means and clamps and the placement of the gussets, resist deflection or collapse whereby the cover and base are maintained releasably but positively interlocked.

Thus a novel and eflicient container is provided which features an ingenious arrangement of mountings for the accessories and the box with strategic placement thereof to rigidity the appropriate sections. Furthermore, the location of the bag and its pocketing into the cover. and the outward deflection of the lid panel with attendant interlocking of the cover and base pursuant to mounting of the bag in the cover obtains a highly novel and useful structure of simple and economical design.

It is understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course,

asebisee be apparent-to those-skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

l claim: 7

--*1. The combination of an accessory container comprisinga base and a flexible cover telescoped over the base-and having'op'posed portions embracing the base, spaced-mounting means on a portion of the cover be- 'tw'een said opposed portions, a water bag mounted on "said-means and stretched therebetween for drawing said opposed portions of the cover together by flexing said portion and tightly engaging the said opposed portions withportions of the base therebetween.

The invention according to claim 1 and further characterized in that said base and cover are quadrilat'eraland said portion-of-the covercomprising an out- :wardly *co'nvexedout er wall providing a pocket therein rd; said bag, v

% -3. The combination according to claim 1 and said '-base comprising a plurality of interconnected walls, and

gusset means interconnecting adjacent walls and extend- "ing transversely thereto in rigidifying relationship thereto and-having openings therein for reception of associated mounting means.

' 4. In an accessory container, a quadrilateral base having a pair of side walls and interconnecting end walls, gussets at each corner integral with respective adjacent walls for rigidifying the same, a cover telescoped liver "the base and having end and side walls disposed *intransversely overlapping relation to corresponding walls of th'e base, hinge means pivotally interconnecting one end wall of the base with the corresponding end wall of the cover, cooperating latching means on the other end walls-of the cover and base, an outwardly bowed flexible top wall on the cover connected to, the side and end walls "thereof and providing an internal pocket therewith for accommodating an associated accessory, and internal mounting means on the top wall of the cover adjacent to 'each'end wall thereof, and a rubber water bag mounted on and stretched between said mounting means with attendant deflection of said top wall and drawing said end walls of the cover together into snug engagement with the'corresponding end walls of the base.

- 5. In an accessory container, a quadrilateral base having a pair of side walls and interconnecting end walls, gussets at each corner integral with respective adjacent walls for rigidifying the same, a cover telescoped over the base and having end and side walls disposed in transversely overlapping relation to corresponding walls of the base, hinge means pivotally interconnecting one end wall of the base with the corresponding end wall of the cover, cooperating latching means on the other end Walls of the cover and base, an outwardly bowed flexible top wall on the cover connected to the side and end walls thereof and providing an internal pocket therewith-for accommodating an associated accessory, and in- Wardly projecting hooks on the top wall of the cover adjacent to each end wall thereof, for mounting an associated stretchable accessory therebetween with attendant outward deflection of the top wall and biasing said end walls 'of the cover against the end walls of the base, and accessory mounting means on each side Wall of the base formed and arranged to rigidity the same against transverse deflection.

1 6. In an accessory container, a quadrilateral base having a pair of side walls and interconnecting end walls, gussets at each corner integral with respective adjacent 4 wallsfor rigidifying the'same, acover telescop'ed over the base and having end and side walls disposed in transversely overlapping relation to corresponding walls of the base, hinge means pivotally interconnecting one end wall of the base with the corresponding end wall of the cover, cooperating latching means on the other end walls of the cover and base, an outwardly bowed top wall on the cover connected to the side and end walls thereof and providing an internal pocket therewith for accommodating an associated accessory, and inwardly projecting hooks on the top wall of the cover adjacent to each end wall thereof, for mounting an associated accessory therebetween, and accessory mounting means on each side wall of the base formed and arranged to rigidity the same against transverse deflection, and said latching means comprising an elongated rib on the related end wall of the base and a groove on the end wallofthe cover, said rib disposedin rigidifying relation to the respective end wall of the base, said cover being flexible and said accessory functioning to deflect the cover to tightly engage said groove onto said rib. I v

7. An accessory container comprising a quadrilateral base and a complementary cover telescoped over the base, said cover and base having adjacent superposed end walls, hinge means on the external side of theend wall of the base and internal hinge means on the end wall' of the cover pivotally connected to said first-mentioned hinge means, said hinge means disposed adjacent to'opposite corners of the'container, said base having'side walls, accessory mounting means formed integral with said side walls interiorly thereof disposed in transverse rigidifying relation thereto, said cover and base having endwalls remote from said first-mentioned end walls in opposing relationship thereto, 'said cover having aflexible wall interconnecting its end walls, anchors on'the flexible wall adjacent each end wall, and an accessory mounted in tension on and between said anchors for drawing said end walls of the cover together with attendant flex ing of said flexible wall and biasing said end walls of the cover against those of the base.

8. An accessory box having a base portion and a cover portion, said portions having peripheral sections telescoping in a closed position, spaced accessory mounting means on one of said portions, and an accessory mounted on and between said mounting means for drawing the same together with attendant deflection of said portions transversely of said sections for tightly engaging said sections. I

9. The invention according to claim 8 and further characterized in that said base portion is disposed within the cover portion, and said mounting means are on the cover portion.

a 10. The invention according to claim 9 and said, base portion having accessory mounting means disposed between saidfirst-mentioned means for rigidifying the base portion and resisting deflection thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,365,313 Fow Jan. 11, 1921 1,858,146 Ferguson May 10, 1932 2,506,148 Hammerly May 2, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 500,294 Belgium Jan. 15-, 1951 

